


running (from you).

by sensesonfire



Series: two men in love; [1]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU (Comics), Red Robin (Comics), Superboy (Comics), Superman - All Media Types, Young Justice (Comics)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Feels, Emotional Hurt, Eventual Happy Ending, Hurt No Comfort, I promise, Kon-El | Conner Kent Needs a Hug, M/M, Not Canon Compliant, Pining, Prompt Fic, Temporarily Unrequited Love, TimKon Week 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-12
Updated: 2020-05-12
Packaged: 2021-03-03 03:53:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,050
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24138427
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sensesonfire/pseuds/sensesonfire
Summary: There are secrets lurking, trying to reach out for the surface desperately, begging to be out of the dark, to seek out the light of the world and finally unfold, wrap itself around a certain someone, a certain smile, a certain soul.(day one: under lock and key + day two: angst)
Relationships: Tim Drake/Kon-El | Conner Kent
Series: two men in love; [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1741969
Comments: 3
Kudos: 30
Collections: TimKon Week





	running (from you).

**Author's Note:**

> SO. OK. I KNOW I HAVE THINGS TO FINISH WRITING BUT!!! catch this writers block lmao im a failure
> 
> soooooo this isnt happy. just fyi. and i will be making a sequel, dont worry. i just needed the angst to vent. LATE ENTRY FOR THE TIMKON WEEK BUT I'LL CATCH UP at least i hope so
> 
> soooooo i hope you enjoy it? and tell me if theres any mistakes i havent betaread and im too tired atm.

_There's a strange love inside; it's getting louder and louder and louder and louder and louder and louder. There's a danger I can't hide; who I am, it's who I am, it's who I am, it's who I am._ _**(I'm in love.)**  
_ [Two Men in Love, The Irrepressibles]

There are secrets lurking, trying to reach out for the surface desperately, begging to be out of the dark, to seek out the light of the world and finally unfold, wrap itself around a certain someone, a certain smile, a certain _soul_. But it is best if it keeps on being hidden, it will not cause anyone pain this way. However, Conner cannot keep it under wraps any longer, it is starting to consume him, warning dangerously about how it is ready to burst at any second from now on. It is beginning to be frustrated, growling at him like a beast, begging at times, fiercely screaming at him to just _tell_. He can never comply to its wishes; he does not know what it is either. He just knows that it needs to be maintained as a secret. He needs to keep someone from learning about it.

It is starting to get hard, though, when said person who entices these feelings on Conner is one of the smartest people on Earth, if not _the_ smartest – and really, Bruce Wayne will have to recognize it fully at some point, that Tim Drake surpassed him, that he is not a mere pupil anymore, not a simple _Robin_ and gods, he was never. Tim was always his own person, he was full of this edge, responsibilities on his shoulders that were not his, choices that he has taken without considering it a burden _not_ because he wanted something out of it, but because he genuinely wanted to _help_. Tim chose to be Robin. He was just so—

Conner shuddered, air knocked out of his lungs from mere thoughts. It was starting to get unstable, to the point he could not control anymore. He always started to spiral, thoughts of his best friend, his better _half_ , clouding his common sense, even his instincts. It started to creep itself around the margins when Conner’s relationship with Cassie started to get strained, dull, _unfulfilling_. Do not get him wrong, Cassie is awesome, but his heart was not into that. It took him too long to notice that it was never, in the end. And it was frustrating.

He did not know what _it_ was, could not put a name on it. Though for the looks Ma gave him when he told her, or when Clark chuckled with a certain glint in his eyes whenever Conner started to ramble about Tim, or when Kara rolled her eyes pointedly when she started to imply _something_ he could not catch, he had a guess. It was not like he did not think of it before, Conner is not _that_ stupid, it is just—he could not accept it. It was too much.

Instead, he picks it up and stuffs it on the depths of his heart, ignoring the gnawing oddness of wanting to cry, because it fucking _hurts_. He does not want to do that, though he knows he has to. He _has to_. For the sake of him, of the team, of Tim, of their friendship.

Conner snorts mirthlessly when he caught himself all alone. Because this is tiring, he wants to sob out, he never liked this sensation, it made him feel so goddamn weak. He just _yearns_ to reach out for his best friend, touch his face, his nose, his lips, his eyes, travel down to his neck, collarbones, torso; kiss the path he journeys with his fingers, savor Tim’s skin, smell him, make him smile, make him laugh, listen to him, make him happy, _love him_.

One day, it explodes. Like a dam breaking. But not the way Conner expects it to. He just accepts it, and when he does, he collapses on himself on his bed on the Tower and wishes he could tear his heart apart so it ceases to ache so hard.

After that, it goes on as it normally does – he pretends, masks his anguish with witty remarks, with forced smiles and boisterous laugh. He ignores the weird, concerned looks Tim sends his way.

He seeks for comfort, though, because this thing he feels is fucking greedy and when it does not get what it wants it causes him to suffer. From brushing hands to relishing on the near death experiences that causes Tim to hug Conner tightly, from saying something stupid just to see Tim spit his coffee with giggles to glancing his way, never tearing his gaze from Tim, eyes only drawn on him.

Kara at first made fun of Conner. Said he was being stubborn, but that it was funny seeing him, oh so confident, pining. Then when she saw how much _misery_ it was bringing him, she started to grow worried. Krypto could not stop fussing over him, even Jon had asked him some dubious questions once out of worry.

It was certainly not just them who noticed, either. The team noticed. Bart did not leave his side for a second, fidgeting more than he usually does, trying to bring joy to Conner somehow but coming up empty. Cassie, who was pissed at him for a long period of time, also put the awkwardness aside to try to console him as a friend would.

There was also Tim. Prying, worried sick, trying to get his mind of whatever was happening to Conner. Conner could just think of how much it pained him to see that expression on Tim’s face, the _love_ inside him pleading Conner to do something, to smooth out that expression with tender hands, cradle Tim’s face in worship, whisper against his skin with feather like kisses how much Conner loved him.

He could just force a smile, tell him not to be so concerned, there were other pressing matters that he should put his mind into, not Conner’s well-being for now. It could be resolved later; it _would_ be resolved later. Conner just needed some time.

Time, Conner thought to himself when Tim left, to hope it would someday hurt less than it does now.


End file.
